Customer Reviews

Causes Of The American Revolution (The Road to War: Causes of Conflict)

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Of the informative books in the Road to War: Causes of Conflict series, "Causes of the American Revolution" is the one that I had some second thoughts about before I even opened it. Part of the reason is because as the title indicates it is about the causes of the American Revolution rather than of the Revolutionary War, not that England was going to let the colonies go their own way. But I also remember studying American history every other year in grade school and never getting beyond the American Revolution. Since I think everybody had a similar educational experience my assumption was that Richard M. Strum's book would be covering ground that is already adequately dealt with in your standard history textbook.

Strum begins by introducing his young readers to sixteen Notable Figures, from John and Samuel Adams to George Washington. Included in the list are not only key Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry, but also the British commander Thomas Gage and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend. I think the British side could be better represented, but when Strum includes John Dickinson and Isaac Sears in his roster I am impressed that he is clearly getting beyond the really big names. The book's first chapter is devoted to the events of April 19, 1775, namely the clash between British regulars and colonial minutemen on Lexington and Concord. Strum touches on the events that precipitated "the shot heard round the world," but that is only a prelude to the rest of the volume.

The second chapter looks at Britain's American Colonies in terms of why Englishmen came to the new world, what they found here, and the relationship that was established between the colonies and the crown. Although this begins with the importance of tobacco as a crop, it ends with Franklin's proposal for a "Grand Council," which was the first time the idea of the 13 separate colonies working together was advanced. The French and Indian War is the subject of the third chapter, and while it provides a superb and concise account of the war, the only key points that relate to the topic here is that Great Britain and France like to fight each other, and that getting the colonies to pay for this war was pivotal in setting the revolution in motion.

Overall the fourth chapter looking at Britain's Parliament vs. the Colonial Legislatures is the key one in the book as Strum looks at the series of acts and responses that went back and forth across the Atlantic, leading to the Growing Tensions detailed in the fifth chapter. This short chapter looks more specifically at the militant clashes between the two sides, whereas the previous chapter was concerned with legislation and political action. After the detailed look at the French and Indian War, Strum's treatment of The American War of Independence is extremely brief, boiling down the conflict to a few paragraphs. What is more important are the last few paragraphs where Strum makes the argument that the split was inevitable and emphasizes how the impact of what happened extended well beyond North America, inspiring directly or indirectly the revolutions that followed and established republican governments throughout the world.

"Causes of the American Revolution" does a good job of detailing the key events that led to this particular war, although I also think that the importance of these chapters to advancing that thesis are somewhat uneven as noted above. It is a great looking book, taking advantage of Independence National Historical Park and the Architect of the Capitol as resources. In the back of the book teachers and young students will find a Chronology of key events from the establishment of Jamestown in 1607 to the Treaty of Paris formally ending the American Revolution in 1783. A two-page Glossary defines key terms from "cash crop" to "tidewater," while the next spread lists books for not only students (e.g., Janis Herbert's "The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities") but also older readers (e.g., Gordon S. Wood, "The American Revolution: A History") suitable for Further Reading, and several Internet Resources as well.

The "Road to War: Causes of Conflict" series from OTTN Publishing features outstanding titles that introduce young readers in grades 4 through 6 to the causes of five American wars over the last two hundred years that saw significant American involvement. This outstanding series includes: Causes Of The American Revolution, Causes Of The Civil War, Causes Of World War I, Causes Of World War II, and Causes Of The Iraq War. Each title presents a truly in-depth survey of the reasons for America's involvement in these conflicts along with an articulate explanation of events and concepts. The fourth grade reading level texts are enhanced with more than 25 color photographs, illustrations, and maps. Although Causes of the American Revolution and Causes of the Civil War are available in paperback, the sturdy library binding of the hard cover edition is recommended for school and library collections.

even thought it is not accepted in college report, i found it very useful for the ideaism and direction on this subject. thanks, Hector